Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was caught on hot mic talking trash about 2024 hopefuls Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley moments before dropping out of the presidential race Wednesday evening.
At a New Hampshire town hall, Christie told an audience that ‘it’s clear to me that there isn’t a path’ to the Republican nomination, ‘which is why I’m suspending my campaign for president of the United States.’
The livestream on his campaign website carried a conversation Christie was having backstage with a man and a woman before his dramatic announcement.
Christie is heard commenting that Haley spent $68 million on her campaign, while DeSantis spent $59 million, while the former New Jersey governor had just spent $12 million, noting that he was the one ‘punching above their weight.’
‘And she’s going to get smoked, and you and I both know this, she’s not up to this,’ Christie is heard saying about Haley, he then revealed that DeSantis had called him on the phone and sounded ‘petrified.’
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was caught on hot mic talking trash about 2024 hopefuls Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley moments before dropping out of the presidential race
He then told the unknown man that he believed former President Donald Trump was going to win Iowa, a state that DeSantis needs to perform well in if he wants to stay in the race.
A man is heard commenting to Christie that Haley is 20 points behind Trump in New Hampshire, then asking the governor if he believed Trump would win Iowa.
‘Yes,’ Christie replied before revealing his phone conversation with the Florida governor.
The man then said that he expected DeSantis to drop out of the 2024 race after Monday’s Iowa caucuses.
The video clip then cut out. The video is no longer posted online.
Moments later, Christie appeared onstage in Windham, New Hampshire and pulled the plug on his presidential bid.
He was averaging about 12 percent support in New Hampshire and in third place after Trump and Haley.
Christie said that former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley (left) waa going to get smoked’ and ‘she’s not up to this’ and also told people backstage that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called him ‘petrified’ as former President Donald Trump looks poised to win Monday’s Iowa caucuses
Former President Donald Trump reacted to Christie’s announcement that he was dropping out of the presidential campaign with glee, posting on Truth Social ‘I might even get to like him again!’ Trump also pointed out Christie’s hot mic moment
In the Granite State, Trump has 43 percent support and Haley has 29.3 percent, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.
Christie anchored his presidential bid on being the top candidate to run against Trumpism, as Haley, DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy continue to say some positive things about the former commander-in-chief.
He decided against campaigning in Iowa, the state that holds the first caucuses – which will take place Monday – because the electorate tends to be more socially conservative and Trump has been so far ahead.
Instead Christie solely focused on doing well in New Hampshire, where the independent-minded voters have often voted for a different candidate than the winner of the Iowa caucuses.
But with just 13 days to go before the Granite State primary, Christie hadn’t been gaining ground.
In Windham, New Hampshire Wednesday night, Christie blasted the ‘smallness of the campaigns who spend more time arguing and worrying about who should get out of the race than they have spent going after the frontrunner.’
He delivered that same message to DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy at last month’s GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Haley and DeSantis are set to debate in Iowa Wednesday night, but Christie’s low polls in Iowa and nationally meant that he didn’t make the stage.
Christie ended his Wednesday remarks without endorsing another candidate.
In 2016, Christie pulled out of the presidential race and backed Trump, a decision he now says he regrets.
Trump reacted on Truth Social to Christie dropping out with glee.
‘I hear Chris Christie is dropping out of the race today – I might even get to like him again!’ Trump said.
‘Anyway, he was just caught on a hot mic making a very truthful statement: “She’s gonna get smoked…You and I both know it, she’s not up to this,”‘ the ex-president added.
DeSantis reacted to Christie’s hot mic moment by using the opportunity to go after Haley.
‘I agree with Christie that Nikki Haley is “going to get smoked,”‘ the Florida governor posted to X.
Haley called Christie a ‘friend’ in a statement following his campaign suspension.
‘Chris Christie has been a friend for many years. I commend him on a hard-fought campaign,’ Haley said. ‘Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership. I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America.’
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who is backing Haley, had been pushing Christie to drop out of the race to give the former South Carolina governor a clear path to become Trump’s top nemesis.
Sununu has long said that once candidates know there’s no path to the nomination they should bail on the race so one of them can go head-to-head against Trump, who is ahead nationally by around 50 points.